Christmas tree thread :)

[tinaja]

I feel a bit nutty. There was a limb from a cedar tree by the side of the road. I saw it earlier in the day. After dark, I picked it up. It was a bit bigger than I thought but it fit in the car. I trimmed off the green. Voila Christmas 🎄

[whothingie]

Slightly off post, but remember the put er up of the office tree. Got a call from someone, completely out of the blue, asking some questions I was reluctant to answer until I knew more.
Turns out that he was at carols in the park and responded instantly when the person in front of him had a heart attack. Did CPR and saved a life, then disappeared once the ambos arrived.
He's definitly a keeper.
(Was recognized by a company client)

[lillielangtry]

Wow, whothingie!

[Liiisa]

Wow, what a useful and excellent person!

[tinaja]

Someone who doesn't freeze in an emergency is a blessing. Afraid that would never be me.

[Liiisa]

I know - as a field trip leader, I really should take some first aid and CPR classes. But they aren't required, so I keep putting it off, I think because I worry that I'll make the situation worse.

[tinaja]

I have a cousin who has struggled a lot. But apparently his superpower is being calm in an emergency. I heard another story recently about a guy I know who was like that when someone was poking a fight. Of course he's built like a brick.

[Queen]

We have company safety week every year and this year I got the opportunity to do the CPR course.

If I have to save your life on my own you are, to be frank, in trouble. It's hard work and takes a lot of puff and hurts my knees.

[sophie]

I had to take some first aid courses when I used to take my students out into the wilderness… never used it there but used done skills elsewhere, amazing how stuff gets into your brain and you go on autopilot in an emergency. I would prefer others to do it however!

[ozziegiraffe]

Dec 21, 2023 15:12:11 GMT -5 Queen said:

We have company safety week every year and this year I got the opportunity to do the CPR course.

If I have to save your life on my own you are, to be frank, in trouble. It's hard work and takes a lot of puff and hurts my knees.

We have to do emergency procedures, anaphylaxis and CPR every 2 years. I haven’t been able to kneel to do CPR for more than 10. Fortunately, it’s the one bit that isn’t mandatory, as long as someone on site has done it.

[lillielangtry]

My boss collapsed at work in February 2020 with, as it turned out, something going on with her intestine that required emergency surgery.

I was pathetic. The only thing I managed to do was get another colleague - who called the ambulance - and then hold the door open. Not my finest hour.

[romily]

I have done many first aid courses in the past, and had to use them twice - once in the stables when a horse reared up and landed on the rider, and once during a car accident I was a witness to. I was totally calm in both instances, took charge, commanded people around ( you call ambulance, you bring me first aid kit and so on) and dealt with the injuries as well as I could - thankfully the ambulance turned up quickly in both instances.

It was once I handed the patient over to ambulance crew that I crashed - especially with the road accident, there was so much blood and not much I could do besides being there and telling the guy all will be ok... Was taken to hospital myself after that accident due to shock - the injured person was declared dead on arrival - it was horrible. I was very thankful that I had a counselor sitting with me in hospital until I calmed down and somebody collected me, and everybody told me I did what I could do and at least he wasn't alone at the end. it was rough, but I'm still glad I was there.

you just never know how you will react when things go bad, but training gives you confidence - in Germany everybody used to have to do a first aid course before getting a drivers license, and I can just encourage everybody to get some basic first aid training.

also came in handy many times when traveling for minor injuries like cuts and sprains - just to have the confidence to dress a minor wound and so on helps.

[ozziegiraffe]

I’m with you, romily. I once witnessed a car accident and was first on the scene. I had a car full of older teenagers, who were very sensible. One of the accident victims was one of my students. I think she broke her arm badly. Fortunately, no one died. It was before the days of mobile phones, so we had to send one of my teenage passengers to find a house with a phone to call the ambulance.
Years later, I was living next door to a school when one of the children broke his arm before school.
In those days, first aid training wasn’t compulsory for teachers, but I had just completed a refresher in my scout leader role, so was able to help.

[Queen]

That delayed shock is super normal. You did really well to hold it together for the time it was needed.

I haven't had to do the CPR thing, but I'm pretty calm when shit happens. I'd done the course years ago but was glad to do a refresher, I'd actually like to re do the first aid certificate course I did back when cell phones did not exist and dinosaurs roamed the earth. I agree it's a good thing for everyone to have a basic grasp of.

[sprite]

Bloody hell, Romily, what a thing to experience!

I think any CPR is better than none, and even if you can't really do it yourself, you might be able to direct someone else.

[riverhorse]

I also can't believe how deathly calm I was the other night, even though there was absolutely nothing I could do for PG until the ambos came. I was all ready to do CPR if it came to that though. Thank goodness we have to do regular first aid courses for school. My last refresher was 2022.

[tinaja]

I have a friend who comes near fainting at the site of blood. And then there are people who call the paramedics too quickly. My sister was having a bowel attack for lack of a better word at the nail salon. Once she got to the bathroom it righted itself. Some client called 911.

[ozziegiraffe]

I think that is partly due to public liability. When I fainted in a roadside service centre, an ambulance was called, and I ended up in hospital overnight, having tests by a cardiac specialist, which were all clear.

[lillielangtry]

My dad had to fire a new assistant after a week because she got sick at the sight of blood. He was a dentist. Not sure what she thought the job involved?!

[tinaja]

I don't know how my friend did her job. She was a laboratory researcher. I guess she mainly dealt with serums and tiny cells.

[lisamnz]

Hey! we managed to get the christmas tree up with minimal arguing this year! No idea how that happened.

And it got taken down while one child was away with me, so no potential for arguments there (yes, they have managed to find a reason to turn this into a fight previously too)

[lisamnz]

Well, this thread has taken a turn in a different direction in my absence!!

[Liiisa]

That made me laugh, looking at the posts about blood and bowel attacks earlier on this page